photo: Vít Hassan for PrahaIN.cz/České Švýcarsko
REPORT: While last year the consequences of the most extensive fire in the history of the Czech Republic were able to mitigate the activities to support tourism, now the locals are calling for the opening of well-known and new tourist destinations.
For an area where every tenth person works in tourism, it is also important for the distribution of visitors, i.e. with regard to sustainability. Overall, according to the hard data of the Czech Tourism Office, there are fewer people, tourists, in Czech Switzerland.
At the same time, most of them are foreigners.
PrahaIN.cz went to the location at the weekend. We documented the landscape and local events. However, the first thing we noticed wasn’t about either. It was an ordinary toilet in Hřensko, which is paid for in the area. We are not very used to that. The price for use is twenty crowns. You can also pay with one euro.
When we asked, we were told that in Prague there is also a fee at the train station.
Almost everyone who happened to be there with us tapped their foreheads. Mainly the Germans were annoyed that they had to pay, because it wasn’t the only item.
Entrance to the area with the Pravčická Gate costs another eighty crowns, there is already a free toilet there. As the information board told us, ten crowns are transferred to a transparent account, from which repairs to the immediate surroundings and the area of the Sokolí hnízdo restaurant are paid.
Menu. Photo: PrahaIN.cz
Expensive food
We also visited there. The prices exceeded the Prague standard. Sausage here costs 135 crowns, fried cheese 270, as well as pork schnitzel or cauliflower with tartare. There was also goulash for 270 crowns. The dessert is available for ninety-five crowns.
First of all, the cauliflower for the stated price surprised some Czech families. It was heard.
The restaurant was practically full on a Saturday afternoon. Guest track? Mainly the Germans. Czechs and Poles sat outside and ate their own provisions, or had a picnic on blankets.
We moved on. The sight of the burned landscape is as painful as last year. Even then, we moved around in Czech Switzerland and documented unfathomable damage. At the time, 750 firefighters were helping on the spot, additional reinforcements came from Germany in the form of twelve helicopters.
“Fresh reinforcements are coming from two volunteer fire stations, but there are also a number of our professionals on site, including firefighters who have experience in aerial interventions, there are also firefighters with climbing training on site,” explained the spokesperson of the metropolitan fire brigade at the time when asked by PrahaIN.cz.
The overall feelings were strange. In the morning there were few people, new and new people came gradually. They were mostly German or Polish couples and families with children. We also saw quite a few Asians.
Too bad the telescope was not in use at the lookout. Someone must have broken it.
It probably won’t get any better. As the CzechTourism agency informed the editors, since the second half of August, accommodation reservations have been decreasing, the last week of the summer holidays currently has 38 percent occupancy.
Another snack option. Photo: PrahaIN.cz
Popularity is still high
Despite the restrictions caused by last year’s fire, Czech Switzerland still had four locations in the TOP 10 most visited natural tourist destinations in the Czech Republic in 2022: Edmund’s gorge with almost 140,000 guests reached 4th place in the ranking compiled by CzechTourism in cooperation with the region. Eighth place was occupied by Mezná, which was visited by 90,000 people, more than 81,000 travelers walked Gabriela’s path, and over 78,000 guests visited the Jetřichovick lookout.
Currently, however, two of the stated goals are still closed to the public.
Several locals we spoke to here aren’t complaining. However, the wrinkles on the forehead make them visible. They say they already checked off one season, another one is on offer. No one knows what will happen next. The constant increase in prices does not work against local entrepreneurs either. People are also said to be changing habits. Earlier, they had beer and soup at the restaurant before starting their journey. Now it is said to be mainly about water, lemonade and own food in the backpack.
Symbol… Photo: PrahaIN.cz
2023-07-25 06:25:45
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